Car coupler



Jan. 1s, 1,921. 1,614,51r

J. WILLISON CAR COUPLER Original Filed July 24. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR ATroRY 3 sheets-sheet 2 l INVENTOR A'ITOREEEY J. WILLISON CAR COUPLER original Filed July 24, 1924 Jan 18,'1927.

Jan. 18,1927, 1,614,517

J. WILLISON CAR COUPLEZR Original Filed July 24. 1924 HIIIIIE ITIIIIIIIIIIIIIM.-

Illmlll'llllmlllllllll ,lflml 20 INVENTOR Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented dan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES Leraar;gl .Partnr Fries.

JOHN WILLISON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MALLEABLE AND STEEL CSTNGS COMFANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHO.

CAR COUPLER.

Application filed July 24, 1924, Serial No. 727,851. Renewed August 14, 1926.

Fig. 1 is a plan, partly in section, of a coupler embodying my invention with the parts in locked position; Fig. 2 is an elevation with the parts as shown in Fig. 1, but with the nut on the bolt removed; Fig. 3 is a plan similar to Fig. 1 but with the lock driven back against the impact stop; Fig. e is an elevation with the parts as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan, partly in section, of a pair of couplers with the lock of one in lock-set position but before the actuating device has dropped back to normal position; Fig. 6 is an elevation of a coupler as shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a iront elevation, partly in section, with the parts removed; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show the operating lever in plan, side and front elevation respectively; and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show the locl in plan, side and front elevation respectively.

My invention relates to car couplers of the vertical plane type such as are shown in my Letters Patent No. 1,201,665, dated October 17, 1916, and in my co-pending application No. 442,359, filed February 41, 1921, in which the coupler comprises a coupler head, a lock and a suitable actuating mechanism ttor the lock. The present invention particularly comprises so iorn'iing the lock and the corresponding and cooperating parts of the coupler head that its locking movements are rendered extremely reliable, even when couplings are effected at a comparatively high speed. My invention not only makes provision for controlling eifectively the movement of the lock in coupler head, in all of its operations, but also for actuating it. My invention also comprises the various features which 1 shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, the coupler is comprised ot a coupler head 2 having a buiiing jaw 3 and a pulling jaw 1, connected by a butfmg tace 5 arranged on an axis inclined laterally to the' line. ot dratt. rlhe pulling jaw has a laterally extending recess L1" to receive the complementary jaw 3 of' the opposing coupler head, and its pulling iace 7 engages a complementary 'face 8 on the batting jaw oi the opposing coupler head.

The lock 9 of the coupler operates in a pocket or cavity 10 which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the butiing face 5 into the coupler head. The lock 9 operates in a groove l1 in the bottom ot' the cavity 10,

and has on the side toward the pulling jaw 4 intermediate the ends of the lock a lateral projection 12 with which the wall 13 at the side of the lock cavity 10 cooperates to hold the lock 9 in vertical position during the locking and unlocking movements of the locl 9. The wall 13, however, as is shown in Fig. 3, extends but a short distance into the coupler head and is there cut away to permit the lock to tip laterally into lock-set position as is shown in Fig. 5, when the projection has been moved. to the rear of the wall 13. The forward face 14 of the projection 12 and the rear tace 15 of the wall 13 are bevelled to guide the lock back to its normal vertical locking position. The lock 9 on the side opposite the projection 12 has a boss 16 intended to be engaged by the operating lever 17, which is pivotally mounted on the transverse bolt 18.

1"he lever 17 is comprised oit two arms 19 and 20 joined at their rear ends by the web 21, both ot which are apertured for the bolt 18. The arm 19 extends upwardly and forwardly through the opening 22 in the bottom of the lock cavity 10 into such cavity, and has a recessed top surface 23 which engages the boss 16 and thereby moves the lock 9 to unlocked position when rotated upon the bolt 18. The forward tace 24 of the lever arm 19 is intended to be engaged by the shoulder 25 on the lock and thereby limits the rearward movement of the lock when it is driven rearwardly by a coupling impact, and thus prevents the lock from being'thrown into lock-set position or from being jammed into the rear ot the lock cavity. y

The lever arm 2O extends outside the cou pler head, and the aperture 26 therein is ot a diameter to accommodate the circular shoulder 27 oi' the nut 28 upon which the arm 20 rotates. The shoulder 27 is of a depth greater than the thickness of the arm 20, so that when the nut 28 is turned up on the bolt '18 tight against the coupler head, it will not bind the arm 20. The lock 9 is provided with a rearwardly extending hook shaped tail 29, upon which the lock 9 rides over the bolt, and which steadies the lock and prevents it from tipping over rearwardly in the cavity. Vhen the lock is in lowermost position the hook portion or' the tail 29 engages the bolt 18 and thus limits the forward movement oi the lock. Near the loe extremity of the arm 2O is an aperture 30 for an actuating member or uncoupling rod 31.

In assembling the parts, the lock 9 is lirst placed in position in the lock cavity 10, the lever 17 is next pnt in position and then the bolt 18 is slid through the apertures in the coupler head and lever, and linally the nut 28 applied. The lock thus cannot be removed without first removing the bolt 18.

In the operation oi the coupler just described, the lock is normally in lower-most position as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen it is desired to uncouple, the lever 17 is turned on the bolt 1,8 in a counter-clockwise direction by means ot the uncouplng rod 31. This rotates the arm 19 into contact with the boss 16 on the lock 9, and, as the rotation of the arm 19 is continued, causes the lock 9 to move upwardly and rearwardly to an extent suflicient to be disengaged from the lock of the opposing `coupler so that the couplers may then be drawn apart without restraint.

It it is desired to place the lock 9 in locksetposition, the lock is actuated as just described, and when the operating rod 31 is released, the lever 17 falls back by gravity into the normal position. As is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lever has just been released and is about to drop back to normal position which is that occupied by the lever in Figs. 1 and 2. As the lock is then unrestrained, it will, because its center of gravity is toward the pulling jaw 4 and it is not held in vertical position by the projection 12, as such projection is now in the rear of the wall 13, tip laterally toward that jaw and as it slides forwardly the upper portion of its forward face will come into contact with the corresponding face on the lock of the opposing coupler head which is in locked position, as is shown in Fig. 5. The lock is thus held by the lock of the opposing coupler from sliding down into locked` position. Then when the couplers pull apart, the lock because ot bevelled faces 14 and 15 on the lock projection 12 and on the wall 13 in the coupler cavity, is free to slide down into lowermost or locked position.

vWhen the lock 9 is4 driven rearwardly in coupling by the impact of an opposing cou.- pler, its shoulder 25 strikes against the forward face 24@ of the lever arm 19, thus preventing the lock Vfrom being driven further back into th-e lock cavity than is necessary in coupling as is shown .in Figs. 3 and Ll. When in this position the projection 12 is still opposite thewall 13 and the lock is therefore prevented from assuming a lockset position.

Couplers constructed in accordance with my invention are extremely edective in coupling operation because ot the provisions which prevent the lock from being thrown into lock-set position lor from being jammed into the rear oi the coupler cavity. Even when couplings are made at a comparatively high speed, I have found the protection against premature lock-setting extremely satisfactory, and that the application of my invention has greatly improved the coupler and has made its operation very reliable.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not olf limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, ot excluding` any mechanical equivalents ot the features shown and described, or portions, thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope oi' the invention claimed.

lllhat l claim is:

1. A car coupler having two rigid laterally-separated oppositely-dispoeed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a lock movable in the cavity longitudinally of the coupler to assume a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking position, the lock having a bearing on the coupler to maintain it in alignment with its locking position, and a movable stop to prevent the lock trom being driven ont ot engagement with said bearing under .impact coupling.

2. it car coupler havinfy two rigid later` ally-separated oppositely-disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending ca *ity therebetween, a lock movable in the cavity longitudinally of the coupler to assume a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking posit-ion, the lock having a bearing on the coupler to maintain it in alignment with its locking position, and lock actuating means interposed in the normal path ot movement of the lock to prevent the lock from assuming a retracted position out et ali gnment with its locking position.

3. A car coupler having` two rigid later` ally-separated oppositely-disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a lock movable in the cavity longitudinally or' the coupler to assume a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking position, the lock having a bearing on the coupler to maintain it in alignment with its locking position, and lock actuating means rotatable on its axis to engage the lock and retract it into a position to move into lock-set position.

l. A car coupler having two rigid laterally-separated oppositely-disposed jaws, the coupler having'a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a lock movable in the cavity longitudinally oi' the coupler to assume a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking position, the lock having a bearing on the coupler to maintain it in alignment with its locking position, and locli actuating means having an arm forming in one position means for retracting the lock and in anotherl position means for limiting the movement ot the lock under impact coupling with a like Coupler.

A cir coupler having two rigid lateralljweparated oppositely disposed jaws, the coupler lia-ving a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a reciprocating lock positioned in said cavity, lock actuating means journalled in Said cavity arranged on movement about its axis to retract the lock into unlocked position but normally serving to limit the movement vof the lock during coupling.

(i. A -ar coupler having two rigid laterally-separated oppositely-disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a reciprocating lock positioned in said cavity, lock actuating means having an arm within and. an arm without the coupler, both arms being journalled on a horizontal shaft, and an uncoupling rod connected to the outside arm, the inside arm being arranged to engage the lock and move it into unlocked position.

.A car coupler having two rigid laterally-separated oppositely-disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween and a groove in the bottoni oi the cavity, a lock movable in they groove to assume a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking position, and i'top members normally lying in the path ot the lock to prevent its assuming a retracted position out ot alignment with its locking position or a projected position in advance oi its locking position;

8. ln a car coupler having a reciprocating lock, lock actuating means comprising an arm within and an arm without the coupler head; and an uncoupling rod connected to the outer' arm, the inside arm being arranged to engage the lock and move it into unlocked position; said lock actuating means serving to limitthe movement of the lock during coupling.

9. A car coupler comprising a head, a lock, and means for operating said lock, said lock when in locking position being adapted to overlap the lock ot' an opposing coupler, said operating means being connected to said lock to retract it to a rearward unlocking position, and stop means interposed between said head and lock to limit the rearward movement ot' said lock, except when said lock is retracted by said operating means.

l0. A car coupler having a head with two rigid laterally separated oppositely disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a lock movable iii said c vity longitudinally of the coupler to assume a projected locking' position and a retracted unlocking position, and stop means interposed between said lock and head to limit the rearward movement ot said lock when struck by an opposing coupler.

ll. A car coupler having two rigid laterally separated oppositely disposed jaws, the coupler having a longitudinally extending cavity therebetween, a lock movable in the cavity longitudinally oi* the coupler to aS- sun'ie a projected locking position and a retracted unlocking position, and a movable stop to prevent the lock from being driven to its retracted unlocking position under iinpact coupling.

JOHN WILLISON. 

